Researchers from the University of South Australia are urging physical activity to be a mainstay strategy for controlling depression as a recent study demonstrates that it is 1.5 times more beneficial than counseling or the most popular drugs.
The analysis, which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, includes 97 reviews, 1039 studies, and 128,119 participants. It demonstrates how much better the symptoms of sadness, anxiety, and distress are when you exercise.
The analysis specifically demonstrated the pace at which physical activity can bring about change by demonstrating that exercise programs lasting 12 weeks or less were most successful at reducing mental health symptoms.
Adults with depression, expectant and new mothers, healthy adults, and those with HIV or renal illness experienced the greatest advantages.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in every eight people worldwide (970 million people) live with a mental disorder. The global economy loses about $2.5 trillion annually due to poor mental health, and by 2030, that loss is expected to reach $6 trillion. An estimated one in five Australians (aged 16 to 85) reported having a mental condition in the previous 12 months.
Examining these studies as a whole is an effective way to for clinicians to easily understand the body of evidence that supports physical activity in managing mental health disorders. We hope this review will underscore the need for physical activity, including structured exercise interventions, as a mainstay approach for managing depression and anxiety.
Professor Carol Maher
Lead UniSA researcher, Dr. Ben Singh, says physical activity must be prioritized to better manage the growing cases of mental health conditions.
“Physical activity is known to help improve mental health. Yet despite the evidence, it has not been widely adopted as a first-choice treatment,” Dr. Singh says.
“Our review shows that physical activity interventions can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in all clinical populations, with some groups showing even greater signs of improvement. Higher intensity exercise had greater improvements for depression and anxiety, while longer durations had smaller effects when compared to short and mid-duration bursts.”
“We also found that all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercises such as walking, resistance training, Pilates, and yoga.”
“Importantly, the research shows that it doesn’t take much for exercise to make a positive change to your mental health.”
Senior researcher, UniSA’s Prof. Carol Maher, says the study is the first to evaluate the effects of all types of physical activity on depression, anxiety, and psychological distress in all adult populations.
“Examining these studies as a whole is an effective way to for clinicians to easily understand the body of evidence that supports physical activity in managing mental health disorders.”
“We hope this review will underscore the need for physical activity, including structured exercise interventions, as a mainstay approach for managing depression and anxiety.”
